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Sunday, August 4, 2013

What's the plan, writer?

Yesterday was the last day of our Author at Once Creative Writing Short Course at iAcademy, and it was an amazing six weeks. My session was about publishing options, but it really was about, What's the plan, writer? Now that you went through a writing course, and I've told you how easy it is to get a book out, what's the plan? I asked them this at the beginning of my session, and then again after. Because I wanted everyone to admit what it was that they really wanted to get out of it. Why write? Why think about publishing?

Writing is something we can do by ourselves, and it can happen whether or not anyone gets to read the work. So writing itself, that isn't a goal. Finishing something, maybe. I've helped people do that. But then what? Is it really enough to look proudly at the thing you wrote and then hide it in a shelf somewhere?

So we talked about goals. And I asked them to not be shy about it. Because admitting what you really want (fame? recognition? critical acclaim? money?) and telling people who can help, will get you what you want sooner, right? So they admitted it (and I won't reveal the goals because they were told in confidence haha) and we discussed some practical ways to achieve them.

There will be another run of the short course soon, but I asked that it happen after the Manila International Book Fair (sometime mid-September) because I'll be busy then. There will also be another Author at Once afternoon talk in September, will announce when soon.

PS - Yesterday, Tania Arpa also spoke about cover design, author marketing, and story pitching, and it was awesome. I mean, we talk about this all the time and I work with her and all, but I still learned a bunch. It pays to actually attend these things, even as a speaker! Heehee.